Filed under: Gaming, Most Anticipated 2008, Previews | Tags: littlebigplanet, media molecule, sackboy
The second in my series of “Most Anticipated Games 2008″ posts.
With the advent of the most recent generation of gaming consoles has come a giant leap in our expectations of game developers and their offerings. We expect bigger levels, more impressive graphics, and more open gameplay.
Enter LittleBigPlanet, one of the most hotly anticipated games of this year and number two on my own list of games I must own as soon as it hits the shelf. I have actually asked that the celebration of my own birthday be delayed to coincide with the street date of this game. If that doesn’t tell you how excited I am I don’t know what will.
LittleBigPlanet is a truly original concept: a game built for people want to both play and create their own levels and share them over a network. We’re not talking about your average level builder included in some other games. In this game you can build anything you want and if you see something in another level you want but don’t know how to build, you will have different options on how to obtain that item. This is the epitome of “Game 3.0″.
Gameplay starts out with the base character, affectionately dubbed Sackboy. He looks exactly like he’s knitted out of yarn. The graphics are that good. Don’t believe me? Compare. On the left you see the digital Sackboy, on the right you see a real knitted Sackboy* (which I really want, by the way). Tell me that doesn’t look amazing.
But it doesn’t end there: Sackboy’s got personality. Feel like breaking out in air guitar in the middle of a run? Go right ahead. Feeling blue? Sackboy’s face – and hands – can reflect that. Compared to other games I’ve seen and played, you have an unprecedented amount of control over the character’s personality and appearance in real time. And the game’s not even finished yet. Come on, even the manliest among you can let that fangirl squee out. Nobody’s going to laugh; they’ll all be doing the same thing.
Building your level and building your character use pretty much the same mechanic: a bubble above Sackboy’s head filled with various items and shapes you can use. You can even decide what type of material you want to use to make your items, be it wood, cardboard, sponge, or rock. You can make sizzling hot pits to fry Sackboy to a crisp, electrify items to shock the plucky puppet, or even drop in ice blocks that will instantly encase the little guy in an ice cube if touched. The possibilities are endless.
The different items you can actually build are astounding. From things that just look pretty to items you can actually use, you can create just about anything. And if you can’t figure out how to create it, there are people out there who can and probably will. echochrome, another game that gives players the option to build and share levels, could just be giving us a taste of how much creativity we can look forward to when LittleBigPlanet hits the street.
You can make your level as complex or simple as you’d like. When you’ve finished building it you can take it for a test drive and tweak it before you unleash it on the rest of the world. You make the rules for the levels you build (as long as those rules obey the laws of the physics engine, of course). And if you’ve managed to make something totally awesome you can choose to share it or keep it to yourself (just remember: Sharing is caring).
Now, I’ve never been big on multi-player games, but the brains at Media Molecule have done the impossible: just the idea of playing this with friends is enough to send me into a fangirl squee. This game can be played alone, but its real draw is in the cooperative play. Some levels will be a lot easier to get through if you’ve got some buddies to help with the heavy lifting (literally). This is a very social game and the first game that I’ve been excited about largely because of that social aspect.
I was going to link to more individual videos but when I ran across the Gametrailers LittleBigPlanet site I figured I’d just provide you with the link and let you have at it. I will, however, specifically link to the GDC 2007 demonstration video. It’s 18 minutes long but well worth your time. Also, check out Media Molecule’s blog. They’re the guys responsible for this masterpiece of gaming goodness and there’s no reason you shouldn’t pay them a visit.
Another good resource for LittleBigPlanet is the LiBiPl Blog.
*Real knitted Sackboy by one of the artist’s mothers.
Filed under: Blog stuff
I haven’t posted here in the last couple of days and I apologize. This weekend I was a bit busy and exhausted from lack of sleep and my internet connection has been running about as well as a drunk Irishman after their team comes out on top at a football game. So I hope you’ll understand why I haven’t been here.
I would like to make the announcement (to those who haven’t visited Visual Crack this will be news) that the remaining posts regarding my “Most Anticipated Games of 2008″ will be released at the rate of one every Wednesday at 12:00pm MDT. This week you can look forward to my thoughts on LittleBigPlanet.
As far as my progress on Fallout is concerned, I haven’t played much (see comments above regarding this weekend but I’m hoping to get a chance to really sit down and play this week.
As pointed out over at Visual Crack, I’ve fallen behind the curve in gaming news. Killzone 2 is being dropped from my “Most Anticipated 2008″ list because it’s been pushed back to 2009.
But, as I also pointed out over at Visual Crack, you don’t have to worry if you were hoping to read my thoughts on Killzone 2 because I’m currently compiling my “Most Anticipated 2009″ list, which I will release after my 2008 series of posts.
As much as I’ve been talking about Fallout over the past day it’s starting to feel like a Fallout blog here. Maybe I should alter my banner…
I’ll worry about that later. I’ve played Fallout some more and I’m falling in love with this game. Really, I am. I’m still having a bit of a hard time working out a strategy that works for me when it comes to combat, but overall I’m finding that it’s a very fun game with a lot of depth to be plumbed. And I haven’t even played it very much. I love games that involve puzzles and what I’m finding with Fallout is that the game is a puzzle, just a different kind than I’m used to playing.
I’ve never been particularly fond of games that take a top-down view, but I really don’t mind in this case (except when I get attacked by something behind a wall that I don’t see until I’m right next to it; that’s the third-person shooter player in me coming out). And as silly as this sounds I have no idea where to find what I need to get into Vault 15. I’m tempted to hit up Per’s Walkthrough, but I really want to get through it on my own so I’m resisting. Every once in a while I’ll use a game walkthrough, but only when I’m so frustrated I’m about to throw a very expensive item out my window.
So anyway, finding that thing is my goal tomorrow; right now I’m enjoying an overdose of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and I’m much too tired to think about finding things in a game.
Just for all you Fallout folks I found this to be incredibly amusing. I know you probably won’t believe me, but I found it hilarious and I’m almost positive you will to (unless my sense of humor is just way off, in which case, I’m terribly, terribly sorry).
Look very closely at the image below (ignore my amateur photoshop job) and tell me you don’t recognize that picture. I made that as an alternate banner before I started playing the first Fallout. I’m not lying, I swear. Click for larger size if you need to.
At the behest of the good folks at No Mutants Allowed I got myself a copy of Fallout and started playing it. Within 5 minutes of actual gameplay I was dead. Killed by manti.
This is not a bash on the game at all. It’s actually an embarrassing admission of my completely un-gamerlike inability to play with any combat systems that don’t involve heavy mashing of buttons on a controller. The game itself – what little I’ve seen of it anyway – is fun. Granted, I had just barely left Vault 13 and seen the sun for the first time, but I will probably have to be yanked away from my computer once I really start getting into this game.
Does this mean I’m well on my way to becoming a rabid Fallout fan? We’ll see. I’m not placing any bets just yet. My usual game fare involves copious amounts of puzzle-solving, the occasional scare, and lots of hiding behind things. All on a console; PS3 to be exact (my preciousssss). So this is a fairly large departure for me. But hey, we should all try new things, shouldn’t we?
Fear not, Fallout faithful, I will prevail and have a dang good time doing it (see, the no swearing thing goes for me, too).
Have some hints or tips on how to play and get the most out of Fallout? I’d love to hear them. Comment, send me an email, whatever you feel you have to do to get my attention. I really want to fully enjoy this game and those who have gone before are the best equipped to shove me in the right direction. So, shove away!
Filed under: Gaming, Most Anticipated 2008, News | Tags: bioshock, dead space, fallout 3, killzone 2, littlebigplanet, mirror's edge, ps3, resistance 2
I am shocked – shocked I tell you – that I missed this scrumptious bit of gaming news: Bioshock is on its way to the PS3. This year.
Do you know what this means? I have to revamp my “Most Anticipated Games 2008″ list. Expect the updated version soon.
*UPDATE*
1. Fallout 3
2. LittleBigPlanet
3. Killzone 2
4. Bioshock
5. Resistance 2
6. Mirror’s Edge
7. Dead Space
I said soon and there it is. All for you. Never say I never gave you anything.
Filed under: Adventure, Gaming, Reviews | Tags: cover system, drake's fortune, treasure hunting, uncharted
Almost every single day I have to marvel at just how far the gaming industry has come. Aside from the stubborn Neanderthals who insist that video games are not a form of art and have no redeeming qualities whatsoever, it’s pretty safe to say almost everybody has a game they can almost wax poetic about. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is that game for me.
Graphically, this game is amazing. The colors are bright and vibrant, the characters actually look like they have personalities, and the water mechanics are, in a word, phenomenal. You almost swear you could touch your TV screen and your hand would come away wet. I’ve seen cut scenes that were much more graphically complicated, but I enjoyed the fact that in Uncharted they still looked like the gameplay. 
It gave the game a smooth feeling. I’ve always felt that games with cut scenes that look much better than the actual gameplay feel somewhat disjointed. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good cut scene, it’s just fun to see more of a natural flow.
The storyline is a fun one, dragging you into a semi-historical romp through Latin America. Along the way you deal with pirates, other treasure hunters that have no problem killing you, and weird beasts that seem like a cross between zombies and Tarzan. 
And you even get to spend some time on a rusty old WWII U-boat in the middle of a jungle. Can you say awesomeness?
Basically, you’re hunting for the lost treasure of El Dorado and you’ve got quite a large group of people on your tail that really don’t like you very much. You also have a sidekick for a great deal of the time during the game who actually hits some of the things she shoots at. I’m not kidding. I swear this is a first for me, since in every other game I’ve played it seems like I’m doing all the killing and my NPC teammates are just there to look pretty and throw out random comments about my shooting ability.
Speaking of NPCs, the characters in this game are funny. Their facial reactions are great and the jokes, combined with the voice acting, really give this game personality. Your character Nathan especially has that sense of humor than totally tells you he’s a jerk but drives girls wild anyway.
I really liked the controls for this game. They are simple, straightforward, and include one particular feature that I don’t think any game like this should be without: a cover system. It works like a charm and I really hope that this signals a general shift in all games requiring shooting, even if they aren’t specifically a shooter. 
I love being able to duck behind things like I would if I were actually in a situation where bullets were flying past my head. After playing games with a cover system like this I find it incredibly hard to go back to playing without one. It feels so natural to just be able to poke your head and arm out from behind something as opposed to going colonial British style and making your whole body a target. After all, if the way we’ve waged war has evolved why can’t the way we play war-type games or games that involve gunfire?
This game is in third person view, which some people like and others hate. I personally love third person so that is one particular thing they did with this game that I’m thankful for. It was really the icing on the cake since, even if this had been done from a first person view, I would have bought it anyway. It really is an awesome game.
Verdict: A. It’s hard to really put into words how much I love this game. It all came together for me and I dare say it’s one of the very few video games I’ve played through twice and still wouldn’t mind playing through again. And it’s one of only two PS3 games I have so far that are driving me absolutely out of my mind for a sequel.
Platform: PS3
Rating: T
Filed under: Fallout, Gaming, Most Anticipated 2008, Previews | Tags: bethesda, Fallout, fallout 3, nuclear, simulation
Over at Visual Crack I’ve started a series of posts based on my most anticipated games of the rest of this year. The first post concerns my most anticipated game, Fallout 3. Because I announced the posts on Visual Crack, I’ll continue to post them there first, but I’ll copy the posts over here, also, for those of you who don’t want to sift through all the other stuff we talk about over there or go to a completely different blog (though I would suggest you at least check out the parent blog; we’ve got lots of cool stuff there).
Without further ado, my Fallout 3 post from Visual Crack:
As a franchise much beloved by those who have played it, the news that Bethesda was taking over the development of Fallout 3 was greeted with great wariness on the web. Having never played any of the Fallout games myself I can’t really speak for those who were less than enthusiastic at this announcement.
What I can tell you is that my anticipation for this game was second only to GTA IV at the beginning of the year. Now I’m all about the Fallout.
The initial grab for me was the teaser trailer. There’s no game play, no action, I doubt it’s even a real cut scene from the game. But… wow. The music is a perfect contrast to the video and even for the game itself. The posters are reminiscent of the 50’s in their style, which makes sense due to that era really focusing the Cold War and, subsequently, nuclear holocaust on the American mind. At the end we are treated to a voice-over by none other than Ron Perlman, the man who did the voice-overs for all the Fallout games (and who is also responsible for a wicked cool portrayal of Hellboy on the silver screen).
From the reading I’ve done online a big fear among Fallout faithful has been that the most recent installment will be more FPS than RPG. I think this fear has been a big reason why Bethesda has been touting the new control scheme so heavily. You can’t read an article about Fallout 3 without hearing about V.A.T.S. (Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System). It’s sounding very much like an RPG with FPS elements (though Bethesda is careful to note they are not making an FPS and that you will have a hard time getting through the game if you choose to play it that way).
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been particularly big on playing RPGs. Turn-based systems drive me crazy mostly because I’m not the type of person that likes to wait and exchange hits. The closest I can come to dealing with a turn-based system is playing World of Warcraft. I know video game nerds everywhere will be outraged that the battle system is the main reason I refuse to play any Final Fantasy games. I tried to play Final Fantasy VII and couldn’t get past the first battle. I suck at turn-based games. I own it.
In any case, what I’ve seen of V.A.T.S. has me excited to give it a try. I’m really digging the news that you can shoot in real-time and go into V.A.T.S. for more precise targeting (though as with all turn-based games there is no guarantee you’ll actually get a hit).
The beloved character Dogmeat is also making an appearance. What’s so cool about that? Well, apparently you can tell Dogmeat to go find stuff you need and he’ll go find it. But, he doesn’t just disappear off-screen for a couple of seconds, then magically reappear with what you asked for. He could be gone for hours looking for the item you requested. It will definitely add an element of realism to the game. Let’s face it, when was the last time you looked for something that wasn’t readily available and found it right away?
The choices that you have to make in the game are interesting to say the least. The only example I’ve seen is enough to peak my interest immensely: You have to decide whether or not to activate a dormant nuclear bomb. If you activate the bomb you destroy Megaton, the town built around the bomb, effectively deleting any quests you could have done there. If you choose not to destroy Megaton you can’t do any of the quests associated with its destruction. The choices you make could drastically alter the outcome of the game, which Bethesda has said will include over 200 endings.
But the thing I’m most excited about at this point is the beginning of the game where you develop your character. You literally “grow up” learning what you need to know the play the game. Of all the games I’ve played that have tutorial levels this is, quite simply, the most original idea I’ve ever heard. From birth to the day you finally leave Vault 101 in search of your father you learn how the world of Fallout 3 works. On top of that, your choice in physical attributes will affect how your father looks, effectively creating a family resemblance. Very cool.
Given all that (and I’m sure there’s much more I haven’t written about) it should come as no surprise that this is my most anticipated game of the year. For up-to-date info check out the excellent Fallout 3: A Post Nuclear Blog. For pictures check out the gallery.
Filed under: Blog stuff
I’m what you would call a newbie when it comes to Photoshop. Until recently the most I’d really used it for was to resize pictures. I never knew how to make those really cool banners I’d see on other people’s blogs or even do very simple effects. It seemed like learning it would take forever and whenever I tried to read about doing anything I’d end up confusing myself.
My Photoshopping ability still leaves a lot to be desired, but I’m finally getting the hang of it (a little, at least). I’ve been messing around with the banner for this blog (with some helpful hints from Dee) and it’s not too shabby if I do say so myself.
If you have any tips or comments that could help me in my quest to become a better user of the Photoshop I would greatly appreciate it. I can mess around with it and learn that way (like I did with HTML) but getting help from people who really know how to use it really cuts down on the amount of time I have to spend in frustration. That translates to more time for gaming and blogging about games.
